This has been a pretty bad week for whales and unless something is done it’s going to get a lot worse.
In the Harper government’s relentless pursuit to push tar sands pipelines through to Canada’s east and west coasts, the government is endangering whales on both sides of the country.
On the west coast, the attacks have been directed on the majestic humpback whale.
In order to avoid a potential legal fight over humpback whales if the Enbridge Northern Gateway tar sands pipeline is pushed through, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is proposing to downgrade their status from a “threatened species”, protected under the species at risk act (SARA), to a “species of concern”.
A humpback whale breaching
This downgrade means fewer legal protections for the humpback and a smoother ride for the heavily opposed tar sands pipeline and the more than 200 supertankers it would bring to the region every year. The downgrade has been heavily criticized due to the threats it poses to the tenuous gains the humpback population has made and because it shows the Canadian government will stop at nothing to get the tar sands pipeline rammed through.
In eastern Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has given TransCanada a permit to conduct seismic surveying in the St. Lawrence estuary in preparation for the construction of a tanker port. The reason? Again, to try to pave the way for yet another tar sands pipeline, Energy East.
A beluga whale (often noticed for their cute smile)
The surveying poses another threat to the beluga whale, an already endangered species, as it uses sound canons at levels up to 230 decibels to map the seabed. Not only can these extremely loud sounds cause immediate damage to the belugas by causing deafness, scientists have said that the canons will reduce the beluga’s habitat and likely cause the whales to change their behavior. If this wasn’t bad enough, the port is located in Cacouna, Quebec , an area known as a beluga whale nursery where the population spends most of the spring and summer feeding and giving birth to their calves.
Greenpeace Canada bearing witness to seismic testing near Cacouna, QC
Whales are one of the most majestic species on earth. Their songs fill the oceans and their incredible beauty is something to be treasured, not forsaken. The fact the prime minister would put them at risk shows the lack of respect he possesses for the natural world. We need to protect these sacred creatures and care for their own survival as we would our own. We cannot let them become just another expense on the tar sands balance sheet.
From coast to coast we will continue to help mobilize concerned citizens who believe we should not risk our treasured marine ecosystems for short term profits.
Sign here to tell Harper to protect the humpbacks and stop the pipelines.
Sign here to ask the mayor of Cacouna to protect the belugas
